Category: Cool

Chumby

Chumby

I was reading Hack-a-day this morning and saw that there is a new ultra cool hacker friendly device called a Chumby. The Chumby is a wifi enabled iPod’ish PDA like appliance that

Hardware:
266 MHz ARM controller (the MX21 by Freescale)
32 MB SDRAM running at 133 MHz bus speed
64 MB NAND FLASH ROM
320×240 3.5″ TFT LCD with PWM-controlled LED backlighting
Stereo 2W speakers
Headphone output
Ambient light sensor
Bend sensor (to pick up when you squeeze the chumby)
Two USB 2.0 ports, one on the main board and one on the outerware electronics
WiFi connectivity via a USB dongle plugged into the main board
Circuitry to detect the presence of wall adapter power and auto-fallback to backup battery power
Switching power supply network that can eat between 6V and 14V
Available microphone input on the chumbilical bus
Available SPI bus on the chumbilical bus
Serial debug port set to 115200 8N1

[via Christine.net, Scottjanousek ,hack a day]

Chumby 

Lumalive Gear On The Way

Lumalive clothingHow cool will this be?

Lumalive fabrics feature flexible arrays of colored light-emitting diodes (LEDs) fully integrated into the fabric – without compromising the softness or flexibility of the cloth. These light emitting textiles make it possible to create materials that can carry dynamic messages, graphics or multicolored surfaces. Fabrics like drapes, cushions or sofa coverings become active when they illuminate in order to enhance the observer’s mood and positively influence his/her behavior. 

Philips showcases productionready Lumalive textile garments

Neo Victorian Rayguns from The Weta Workshop

Manmelter 3600ZThese creations are just too sweet.

Issuing forth from the fetid and possibly incriminating imagination of Weta Workshop designer Greg Broadmore come RAYGUNS: Dr, Grordborts Infallible Aether Oscillators! … Bespangled in fine detail and with various (most likely quite dangerous) moving parts, these wave weapons of yesteryear are the perfect ornament for a gentleman’s study or a deterring centerpiece for a lady’s powder room or chiffonier…

Seeing these works of art makes me want to pick up my razor knife and tube bender and have a go at making something like this. I used to make toy guns along time ago. They were never as sophisticated as these but they were fun to build.

[via boingboing] 

Weta originals – Rayguns

New ‘Martian Chronicles’ Movie In The Works

Ray BradburyScience fiction genius Ray Bradbury has picked up his pen and is writing a new screenplay for his classic ‘Martian Chronicles‘. I am particularly interested in how he merges such a large body of work into such a short format as a movie. The TV series on the late 70’s was ok, but just didn’t do the books justice.

The stories of Mr. Bradbury are perhaps the most stirring I have ever read, the story ‘There will come soft rains’ is perhaps his best. I remember reading that when I was a young boy and then realized the full futility of nuclear war. Reading about how the robots dutifully keep up their dead masters home was amazingly sad. If you haven’t read any of this anthology you have to. A number of years ago, during perhaps my first trip to Los Angles, I had the good fortune to meet Mr. Bradbury in person. I shook his hand and thanked him for his work. It’s not often you get to meet one of your heroes.

I think it’s time to re-read these treasures from the golden age of science fiction once again. I’m off to the book store to get a copy.

Amazon.com – The Martian Chronicles

Bradbury Penning New ‘Martian Chronicles’ Script

Another Tiny PC


Need a small PC for somthing? Don’t care if it runs Windows or not? Here you go, this computer might be for you. I’m thinking this would make for one hell of a brain on a robot. With all the USB ports you could interface sensors and if you needed more storage you could pop in a multi gig compact flash card in the CF slot.

Fanless Design
VESA mounting support (as depicted at right)
Processor — 166MHz Pentium (MMX-capable x86) x 3IUs
Memory — soldered-on 128 MB SDRAM
Input/output ports IDE
10/100 Mbps Ethernet
3 x USB V1.1
Optional RS232 Expansion — CompactFlash slot
2.5-inch hard drive mounting
Ultra-low power
PXE diskless boot
"…MicroClient Jr. supports most any version of Linux not based on Gnome, KDE, or other heavy desktop frameworks. He suggests using FWM95, ICEWM, XFce, or Fluxbox instead…

Nice!  

Tiny, sub-$100 PC runs Puppy Linux

The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello

Shadow lands‘The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello’ is a fantastic view into a Victorian inspired world of airships and gears. This is the first installment in a series of three short films, all to be set in the same Steampunk like universe.

The First Voyage – Jasper Morello and the Lost Airship

This Being the First Voyage of Jasper Morello, Aeronaut of the 3rd Royal Cartographers, and his Journal Recording of the Mysterous Predicament Involving the Lost Airship, Hieronymous.

Set in a world of iron dirigibles and steam powered computers, this gothic horror mystery tells the story of Jasper Morello, a disgraced aerial navigator who flees his Plague-ridden home on a desperate voyage to redeem himself. The chance discovery of an abandoned dirigible leads Jasper through unchartered waters to an island on which lives a terrifying creature that may be the cure for the Plague. The journey back to civilization is filled with horrors but in a shocking climax, Jasper discovers that the greatest horror of all lies within man himself.

[via gravestmor]

The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello